Cardinal Namdini Mining Limited (CNML), a subsidiary of Shandong Gold, a Chinese mining firm, has supported four farming communities in the Talensi District of the Upper East Region with six tricycles (motorking) as part of efforts to address postharvest losses and ensure food security. The support valued at GH?112,600.00, including registration, benefitted Digaare (Accra site), Biung, Bapella and Tolla communities which are host communities to the mine of CNML. The support formed part of the commitment of CNML to help smallholder farmers in their operational areas particularly women to be to cart their farm produce from their farms to their homes and market places for sale. At a brief ceremony at Zuarungu, Mr Kofi Adusei, the Community and Social Responsibility Manager, CNML, said the gesture was aimed at assisting the communities prevent postharvest losses that were associated with lack of transport system, to increase food security and income levels of farmers. He said the mining company observed that communities in their operational areas particularly those within the southern part of the mine found it difficult to transport their farm produce to the market centres due to lack transportation system leading to losses. He said the situation had a significant impact on the lives of the smallholder farmers, throwing some, especially the vulnerable out of business, and believed that the gesture would help to address the phenomenon. 'We saw that it is the women who normally go to the market, and we find them standing by the roadside looking for means of transport to take their farm produce to the market centres which is quite difficult. 'So, the idea is that they will manage them as community properties and at any given time they will have means of transport within the communities to move to the market centres,' he said. Mr Adusei advised the communities to establish committees to manage the operations of the tricycles, adding 'they can charge tokens when the women use the service so that they will be able to buy fuel and also maintain them.' The CNML project is an open-cast (surface) gold mine in the Talensi District with an initial Life span of 15 years. The mine is expected to generate about 150 million tonnes of ore, resulting in five million ounces of gold within the period of production. The Company is currently investing about 600 million dollars in the construction and resettlement phase of the project and all construction projects are expected to be completed before the beginning of the last quarter of this year. In 2022, the Company spent over US$10 million to construct about 123 residential houses and public infrastructure including schools and healthcare facilities for the Biung and Accra Site resettled communities. Mr Baoli Feng, Vice President in charge of General Administration, Public Relations, and Security, CNML, said it was the hope of the company that the construction would soon be completed, and first gold poured in the last quarter of 2024. 'There are better days ahead and we wish to appeal to all our stakeholders to support our work to ensure that we produce, and develop the communities,' he added. Mr Jeffery Asumda, who received the tricycles on behalf of Digaare community, said lack of transportation system had been a major challenge for smallholders in the community and thanked CNML for coming to their aid. Mr Clement Abane Asoore from the Bapella community, said due to far distances and lack of transport, their farm produce usually got destroyed on the farms and the gesture was a big relief to the community. Source: Ghana News Agency